1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deck extension for use on a flat bed truck or trailer to extend the length of the truck bed and to facilitate loading and unloading.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The legal length of trailers on interstate highways has been increased from 48 feet to 53 feet. There is economic pressure on truck operators of the shorter trailers to take advantage of the change and the opportunity to carry a larger load.
A number of truck bed extensions have been proposed in the past. Many make use of hydraulic cylinders to move various support arms into position and are structurally complex, while others are hand operated. Representative truck bed extensions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,394,734, 4,498,836, 4,372,727, 4,305,694, 4,114,944, 3,142,394, 2,966,274 and 2,587,265.
What is needed is a truck bed extension that can be operated by a driver without assistance from another worker and that can be used as a loading ramp and upon which a load may be carried.